Israel�s oldest bank adds BTC ETH SOL

TLDR

Bank Leumi, Israels oldest and largest commercial bank, plans to offer Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL) trading to retail customers via Galaxy Digital, pending regulatory approval.

1. Bank Leumi will integrate BTC, ETH, and SOL trading into its Leumi Trade and PEPPER apps in early 2027, in partnership with Galaxy Digital.
2. The service would give around 2.5 million customers simple, bank-based crypto access with professional custody, but no deposit insurance and limited assets.
3. The launch still depends on Bank of Israel and other regulators, and could pressure rival Israeli banks to roll out similar crypto offerings.

Deep Dive

1. What Leumi Announced

Bank Leumi has agreed with Galaxy Digital to launch a bank-offered crypto trading service for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, described as the first of its kind in Israel. Reports say the target start is early 2027, and trading will be embedded inside a secured section of the Leumi Trade capital markets app and the PEPPER mobile bank rather than a separate crypto exchange, with Galaxy providing trading and custody infrastructure including its GK8 platform. This move follows an earlier 2022 attempt with Paxos that was blocked by regulators, but recent Israeli regulatory changes have opened a path for banks to offer such services, subject to strict oversight and asset quality criteria, as outlined in coverage from Bitcoin.com and CryptoPotato.

2. Why It Matters For Users

For Israeli retail clients, this replaces the usual route of signing up on offshore exchanges and managing private wallets with a familiar bank interface and integrated tax reporting. Around 2.5 million Leumi and PEPPER customers could gain the ability to buy, hold, and sell BTC, ETH, and SOL alongside stocks and bonds, with Galaxys institutional-grade custody holding the assets on their behalf rather than users controlling private keys. At the same time, crypto balances will not be covered by bank deposit insurance, and asset choice will likely be limited to large, regulated tokens under local rules that prioritize market cap, holder distribution, and jurisdictional registration.

3. What To Watch Next

The service still needs formal approval from the Bank of Israel and alignment with draft rules allowing trading only in top-tier digital assets, so timelines and supported coins could change. Key unknowns include withdrawal policies to external wallets, fees, minimum trade sizes, and whether more assets beyond BTC, ETH, and SOL are added over time. If the rollout proceeds smoothly, Leumis move could nudge other major Israeli banks such as Bank Hapoalim and Bank Discount to launch similar products, potentially accelerating regulated, bank-based crypto access in the country.

Conclusion

Bank Leumis planned BTC, ETH, and SOL offering signals that Israeli banking regulators now see a path for tightly supervised crypto trading within traditional apps. If approvals hold and the product launches as planned, it could shift a meaningful slice of Israeli retail crypto activity into bank channels, while leaving higher-risk tokens and self-custody to specialist platforms.